Soldiers clash with Agbekoya in Ibadan, eight arrested

There was panic at the Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan on Thursday as soldiers attached to Operation Burst, a Joint Security Task Force, and some members of the Agbekoya clashed at the entrance of the secretariat.

Our correspondent gathered that the incident happened around 11:30 am when a leader of the Agbekoya, popularly known as Akekaka, was going inside the secretariat to attend the meeting of various Yoruba groups held at the House of Chiefs.

One of those who witnessed the incident told our correspondent that the Agbekoya leader was going with his horde of followers to the meeting but one of the soldiers deployed to guard the main gate of the secretariat stopped him and said he would not be allowed to go in.

This was said to have angered one of the followers who reportedly challenged the soldier for stopping their leader.

However, the leader of Agbekoya at Ajibode, Waheed Baba Ijebu, who is also the Otun Oluawo Ajibode, told our correspondent that nobody died in the incident.

He said, “Baba Akekaka was coming to the meeting with his boys and the soldiers there asked why are they shouting and singing. He prevented them from going in and one of the boys said he didn’t have the right to stop them.

“The soldiers slapped him and he slapped the soldier back. He cocked his gun and fired him many times but the bulletin did not have an effect on him. The bullet went and hit one okada but the rider was not injured. He fell down but he was not injured.

“They arrested eight of our people but they have released all of them now. Everybody is fine. Nobody was injured and nobody died.”

Our correspondent observed that there were armed soldiers at the entrance of the secretariat with other security personnel, including men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who were guarding the place before the soldiers were deployed.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, when contacted said he was not aware of the incident.

The Commissioner for Information, Wasiu Olatubosun, however, did not answer the calls put across to his telephone by our correspondent on the incident.  (The Punch)